Salt Lake Rivals Cities Like New York, LA,
for the Number of Foreign Consuls Here
By Erin Stewart
Freelance Writer
With 25 consuls from countries around the world, Utah
rivals any other state with its number of foreign
representatives working on the ground to help connect
the state to markets, cultures and people outside the
United States.
 Salt Lake tops the list in the amount of foreign
representation, coming in just after much larger cities
such as the District of Columbia, New York City and Los
Angeles, says Bjorn Ablad, honorary Swedish consul in
Salt Lake and first vice president of the Utah Consular
Corps.
Story continues below...
“For a tiny city, Salt Lake is well represented,” Ablad
says of the organization that was founded in 2001.
Utah’s consuls are putting businesses and people in
touch with foreign countries from Mexico to Mongolia,
and in turn, helping citizens of those countries feel at
home in Utah. Whether it is obtaining a VISA, getting a
driver’s license or voting in an election from a native
country, Utah consulates serve as a link back home for
many foreign-born Utah residents.
Read the full story...
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Utah Uses Sundance Film
Festival as
Vehicle
to Attract International Businesses
Governor's Office of Economic Development, Zions Bank and World Trade Center Utah Host Luncheon
to Connect with International Guests
The Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) hopes to use the Sundance Film
Festival as a vehicle to attract not only more
filmmakers, but more international businesses to the
state.
With more than 35 countries represented during the
Sundance Film Festival this year, World Trade Center Utah (WTCUT),
GOED and Zions Bank hosted the Utah World Cinema
Connection luncheon at Ruth's Chris Restaurant last
Tuesday, to encourage more international businesses and
individuals to do business in Utah.
Read more...
Lew Cramer, president and CEO of Utah World Trade Center, speaks with
Jill Miller, managing director of the Sundance Film Festival, at the Utah World Cinema Connection
Luncheon. (Photo courtesy of Chang Lu, Governor's Office of Economic Development)
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2008 Annual Convention of Chinese Association for
Science and Technology, USA
February 16 at the Little America Hotel, 500 S.
Main Street, Salt Lake City, 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Convention
flyer. Convention
invitation.
Register online at:
www.castut.org. Registration fee: CAST-USA Members
$20, Non-members $40. Registration deadline: Feb. 8.
For more information about the convention, please
contact Bill Jiang
(billjiang2000@hotmail.com, 801-556-7800) or
Xiaoming Sheng
(xiaoming.sheng@hsc.utah.edu). For more information
about CAST-USA, please visit
www.castusa.org.
International Trade Finance Seminar
February 21, 8:30-11:30 am, Salt Lake Chamber of
Commerce. Expand your exporting savvy and
competitiveness by learning about the various means of
financing your export transactions available to you as
an U.S. exporter! At this seminar you'll learn all you
need to know about the various public sector
organizations that can help Utah companies with their
export financing needs (e.g. working capital, credit
insurance on open account sales, political risk
insurance, special loans for exporting companies, etc.).
Speakers include international trade finance experts
from the Small Business Administration, the
Export-Import Bank, and also a representative from a
company that has had great success utilizing export
finance resources.
Click here to register and for more information.
UCCD Lecture: Business for Diplomatic Action
CORRECTION: This lecture is on March 4 at 7 p.m.
(not Feb. 19, as was published in last week's
newsletter). Location: Vieve Gore Concert
Hall, Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory on the campus of
Westminster College 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake
City. Free and open to the community. Presenter: Keith Reinhard,
founder and president of Business for Diplomatic Action,
a not-for-profit private-sector effort to enlist the
U.S. business community in actions aimed at improving
the standing of America in the world. Go to
www.utahdiplomacy.org or call 801-832-3272 for more
information.
Sudan: The Land and The People
March 14 - April 30 -- In partnership with the Utah Cultural Celebration
Center, the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy welcomes
a Meridian-traveling exhibition on Sudan. This
exhibition presents 70 photographs drawn from the recent
book, Sudan: The Land and the People, written by the
last American Ambassador to Sudan, Timothy Carney, and
his wife and collaborator, journalist Victoria Butler.
These photographs were shot by award-winning
photographer Michael Freeman. Exhibition Dates: March 14
– April 30, 2008. Opening Reception: March 14, 6 – 9 pm.
Gallery Hours: Mon – Thurs 6 am – 9pm and by
appointment. For more information, please visit
www.wvc-ut.gov or
call (801) 966-3600.
Governor's Utah Economic Summit: 'Managing the Growth'
March 20 - Utah boasts one of the strongest economies in the
nation, thanks to a dynamic workforce and a favorable
business environment. As the Beehive State becomes more
prominent in the national and global arenas, the state’s
business leaders will encounter new opportunities and
challenges in managing unprecedented economic growth. At
the second-annual
Governor’s Utah Economic Summit,
Governor Jon Huntsman and other prominent leaders will
discuss how to push Utah to new heights. Register
online.
Global Capital and Labor in the 21st Century
March 24, 7 p.m. at the Vieve Gore Concert Hall,
Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory on the campus of
Westminster College, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake
City. Free and open to the community.
Presenter: Dr. Lant Pritchett, professor of the
Practice of Economic Development at Harvard’s John F.
Kennedy School of Government. He graduated from Brigham
Young University in 1983 with a BS in Economics and in
1988 from MIT with a PhD in Economics. Go to
www.utahdiplomacy.org or call 801-832-3272 for more
information.
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Chile-Utah Ski Industry Trade Mission
During the week of January 21, the General Managers from
the major Chilean ski resorts met with their counterparts
in Utah, as well as Ski Utah, various Conventions and
Visitors Bureaus and Olympic Parks, to discuss important
business issues pertinent to both continents. The major
item under discussion is the formation of a "ski
professional" exchange program between Utah resorts and
the Chilean resorts.
Under the Free Trade Agreement
between the U.S. and Chile, a new category of professional
visas was created under which ski industry professionals
(ski instructors, groomers, snowmakers, etc.) may apply
for a multiple-entry 18-month visa. The human resource
departments in Chile and Utah view this program as a
successful tool for recruitment and retention. In
addition, the various resorts discussed the business
opportunities available when U.S. resorts replace lifts
and snow grooming tractors. The visit culminated with a
reception dinner at Wolf Creek Resort hosted by Wolf
Mountain and the Ogden Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Reception dinner at Wolf Creek Resort for the Chilean delegation and their Utah counterparts.
Mexico Educational Trade Mission
On February 10 representatives from Weber State
University and Westminster College will travel to Mexico
City to meet with the top ranked Mexican universities with
the objective of establishing meaningful working
relationships. Governor Jon Huntsman's Science
Advisor, Dr. Tami Goetz, will accompany the group to meet
with various engineering schools in Mexico City
to evaluate their engineering programs and connect the
Utah private sector with those programs.
WTCUT to Welcome Danish Ambassador
The Danish ambassador will be in Utah for a World Trade
Association luncheon on Friday, March 21. Details to follow.
The France's consul general visited Salt Lake City on
Wednesday, Jan. 30.
Visitor Leadership Program
Upcoming foreign delegations visiting Utah through the
Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership
Program via the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy:
February
1 leader from the United Kingdom in Native American
Socio-Economic Development and Regional Aviation
4 leaders from Europe in Election Year Politics for
Journalists
5 leaders from Ukraine in Domestic Debt Market
10 leaders from Iraq in Promoting Rule of Law and Social
Reform
March
4 leaders from South Asia in Promoting Interfaith
Dialogue
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Jan. 31, 2008 Vol. 2 #3
Strategic Asia
If you want to find out which Asian country China
exports the most to, you can get the answer at
Strategic Asia. This site presents statistics about
Asian countries in a way that's quick and easy to use.
Click on a country on the map and you'll see an overview
of its GDP and related statistics. For more detailed
information click on "datasheet view" and you'll be able
to compare two or more Asian countries in categories
like Trade & Investment, Finance, Government Spending,
Population, Armed Forces, Weapons of Mass Destruction,
and more. Download reports in PDF format about strategic
topics regarding Asia.
Colombia
Colombia (FITA's
featured country) has huge oil reserves, a stable
economy, a coastline on both the Pacific and Caribbean
oceans, and it's one of the world's top 60 importers and
exporters. For more information go to
Colombia Trade News.
In 2006, the United States exported $6.7 billion in
goods to Colombia, an increase of nearly 24 percent from
2005. Nine percent of those exports came from Louisiana
($630 million), which increased 16 percent from 2005. A
total of 2,292 companies exported goods from Louisiana
locations in 2005. Of those, 1,936 (84 percent) were
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with fewer
than 500 employees. Source: The International Trade
Administration
Qatar
Export.gov's
Market of the Month (January), Qatar may look small,
but in commercial terms it is a rising giant. This
Persian Gulf Emirate is just larger than Connecticut and
its total population is around 1 million. But this
country has the world’s third largest reserves of
natural gas and one of the highest levels of per capita
GDP on earth.
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Country: South Africa
There are several greeting styles in South Africa
depending upon the ethnic heritage of the person you are
meeting.
- When dealing with foreigners, most South Africans
shake hands while maintaining eye contact and smiling.
- Some women do not shake hands and merely nod their
head, so it is best to wait for a woman to extend her
hand.
- Men may kiss a woman they know well on the cheek in
place of a handshake.
- Greetings are leisurely and include time for social
discussion and exchanging pleasantries.
Read more...
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Agricultural equipment accounted for less than one percent of total U.S industrial exports to Korea in 2006, totaling nearly $43 million. The top U.S. exports in this sector included tractors, lawn mowers, and straw balers. Korean tariffs range between zero and eight percent. One hundred percent of U.S. agricultural equipment exports will receive duty-free treatment immediately upon implementation of the Agreement, including high-trade U.S. products such as tractors, mowers, and balers.
Source: The International Trade Administration
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Adopt an International Student
Utah Valley State College (UVSC) has nearly 600
international students from 70 countries. In an attempt to
bring global diversity to the community, The International
Center at UVSC is starting the "Adopt an International
Student" program.
Adopt an International Student is open ended, lasting as
long as both parties want. Families befriend a student,
inviting them to dinner and/or holidays, taking them out
to a movie and more. Applications can be downloaded here.
www.uvsc.edu/international.
10 Most Amazing Google Search Tricks
Searching on Google can be a magical experience once you
find out how to make your search queries efficient.
Read more...
Looking for an International Career?
The FITA
International Job Career Headquarters offers hundreds
of international career opportunities. International job
seekers can post their resumes for free and employers can
list openings at a very low cost.
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- Feb. 21: Tradewin 2008 Import Classification Seminar, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(West Jordan)
- Feb. 21:
International Trade Finance Seminar, February 21, 8:30-11:30 am, Salt Lake
Chamber of Commerce.
- Feb. 27 -28:
24th Annual Information Technology Seminar, USU
- Mar. 20:
Governor's Utah Economic Summit
- Apr. 7 - 8: (in LA) Asia
Pacific Business Conference. For questions or general inquiries, contact: Jeff Hamilton, Asia Pacific
Team Leader, U.S. Commercial Service - Salt Lake,
801-255-1872 or email:
Jeff.Hamilton@mail.doc.gov.
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The Global Utah
newsletter
is published as a service of World
Trade Center Utah and Exoro International.
World Trade Center Utah offices:
 175
East 400 South, Suite 609
P.O. Box 11, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Tel: (801) 532-8080 | Fax:(801) 532-8982
Exoro offices:
Crandall Building, Suite 300,
10 West 100 South,
Salt Lake City UT 84101
801.537.0900 Office |
801.537.0901 Fax
Email us
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